Bundle-tying machine



June 14 1927.v 1,632,324

G, D. WALKE R BUNDLE TYING MACHINE Filed May 18, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 1,632,324 June 7 G. D. WALKER BUNDLETYING MACHINE 7 Filed May 18, 1921 s Sheet-Shee't 2 WWW m wvz mv 1,632,324 June 1927' G. D. WALKER v BUNDLE TYING- MACHINE Filed May 18, 1921 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 avwewcoi Patented 'June 14,1927.

GEORGE D. WALKER, OF MORGAN CITY, LOUISIANA, ASSIGNOR TO THE TEXAS COH- rm, or NEW YORK, 11. m, A conronn'rron or runs.

I emu-rune mcnnm.

Application fled 1157 s, 1921. serial No. 410,521.

This invention. relates to the tying of boxes, packages, shooks and the like and general y to wire-tying objects.

The invention contemplates mechanism that is power operated and largely automatic in action thus reducing the amount of manual labor required for its operation and insuring proper precision in its working. In accordance with the invention the object to be tied is encircled with a wire loop and the tensioning of the wire about the packa we I serves to actuate the wire-twisting and cutting mechanism so that .the wire is automatically tied when the wire is properly tensioned about the package.

In order to fully disclose my invention I Figure 1 is an elevation partially in section of an apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention and constituting an embodiment thereof.

Figure -2 is a. plan view.

Figure 3 is an enlarged view in elevation showing a clutch employed.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan view of a latch of the wire-holding mechanism and showing also therollers for facilitating the handling of the object to be tied.

Figure 5 is a vertical section of one type of the roller bearings arranged on the table.

Figure 6 is a detail plan view of gripping means for the wire employed in t e tying operation.

Figure 7 is a side elevation thereof.

Figure 8 is a detail plan view of wire retaining or guiding means employed.

Figure 9 is an elevation thereof.

Figure 10 is a section in detail of the wire tying and cutting mechanism.

Figure 11 is a section taken on the line 11--11 of Figure 3.

Figures 12 and 13 are disassembled views in side elevation of a clutch pin employed.

In the particular form of the invention illustrated a framework 10 serves as a support for a table 11, and is formed to provide a bracket 14 and a plurality of shaft bearower for operating the wire-tying mech-,

anism is transmitted by a drive shaft 13, which is mounted in a bearing 15 supported by the bracket 14.

The shaft 13 has a fly wheel 12 by which it is connected to a motor or other suitable ratus by means of is provided to rotate a shaft source of power, and may be operatively connected to the main shaft 20 of the appaa clutch gear 19, an intermedlate gear 17 on shaft 18 and a pinion 16.

The main shaft 20 which tying and cutting mechanism has affixed to it a gear 21 and actuates a floating or wiretymg pmion 22 which is rotatably supported in a stationary holder 23 and meshes with the gear 21. The tying pinion has a 05 slot adapted to receive the wire to be tied v and on either side of it is a knife 24 for severing the wire after the knot has been tied. These knives 24 are mounted on knife heads 25 carried by the main shaft and are held in position by means of clamps 26.

The wire 27 for tying the objects is car I ried on a reel 28 rotatably mounted upon a suitable support 29. The reel is arranged to be power operated in any suitable manner. As shown in the drawings a treadle 30' 31 by means of a rack 32 and bevel gear 33. The shaft 31 is guided in a journal in a bracket 29 and carries at its upper end journal brackets 34 .80

which support a shaft 35. The latter shaft 1s operated by a pulley 36 driven by a suitable source of power and is equipped with a friction member 37 adapted for engagement with the reel 28. By means of the foot pedal 30 the rotation of the reel is thus controlled.

The table 11 is equipped with spring latches 38 arranged to guide or retain the wire in proper position while permittin a sliding movement of the wire. is also provided with openings 39 for-the knives 24 and with an opening at 40 for the wire-tying pinion 22. A pair of grippers 41 and 42 are also provided for retention of the wire. The grippers are pivoted on pins 43 and are provided with springs 44 which normally tend to'hold the grippers in gripping position. As clearly shown in Figures 6 and 7 the gripper 41 has an engaging point adapted to positively hold the wire and pre- 1100 vent its movement while the engaging end of the gripper 42 as shown in Figures 8 and 9 is designed to guide the wire but permit a sliding movement.

The table 11 is provided with rollers 45 to facilitate the movement of the objects to .be tied. In addition a number of ball bearings 46 are preferably provided at convenient .points on the table in order to insure a free movement of the packages. As clearly shown no operates the wire- 5 The ta le so in Figiire 5 the balls 46 may be mounted on the table in hollow posts 47 provided with set screws 48 for adjusting the position of the balls.

The table is equipped with stop or contact mechanism adapted to be engaged by .the'object to be tied, the arrangement being such that when the wire is properly tensioned about the object the latter-will be drawn against the contact members and a clutch controlling the movement of the Wire-twisting and cutting mechanism will be automatically tripped. In the apparatus illustrated contact members preferably in the form ofa pair of crossheads 50 slidably mounted in slots 51 are provided. The crossheads are attached to rods 53 which are suitably su ported in bracket members 52 secured to t e table. The rods 53 are connected to links 54 which are pivoted at 55. The links are equipped with slots 65 through which extends a cross pin 66 adjustabl connected to a shifting rod '56 provided W1th a spring 57 which normally tends to push the shifting rod to the right as viewed in Figure 1.

A clutch 58 is fixed to the shaft 20, as by means of a key 59. The clutch is formed with a longitudinal slot 67 within which is mounted a pin 60 adapted to engage the gear 19. The clutch pin is provided with a spring 61 which may be secured by a bar 68 fixed to the member 58 and which spring tends to push the pin into engagement with the gear 19. The clutch is formed with a peripheral groove 69 into which extends a release lever 62, which is adapted to engage in a slot 70 in the clutch pin 60 and prevent same from engaging with the gear 19. The lever 62 is pivoted at 63 and provided with resilient means, or other means adapted to hold it in contact with the clutch pin 60. As illustrated, the leveris e nipped with a weight 64 which tends to ho d it in engagement with the clutch pin. The release lever is formed with an extended portion or leg 62 adapted to be engaged by the shift rod 56. When the shift rod 56 is moved to the left, as viewed in Figure 1, it comes in contact with the leg 62 of the release lever and operates. to move the lever from engagement with the clutch pin 60, permitting this pin to engage the gear 19 and thus actuate the'shaft 20 and the wire-tying and cutting mechanism, The bar 68 is adapted to come in contact with the push rod 56 and move it from engagement with the release lever 62 to the position indi- 4 cated in dotted lines in Figure 3, thereby permitting the lever 62 to re-engage in the slot and thus move the clutch pin 60 from engagement with the gear 19. As clearly shown in Figures 12 and 13, the slot or opening 70 is cammed to facilitate the entrance therein of the release lever 62.

In 0 the rec 28 and looped, being held in posiration the wire 27 is drawn from overlapping strands of wire being inserted in the slot of the pinion 22. The object to be tied is placed within the loopand the operator depresses the treadle 30 causing the friction clutch 37 to engage with and rotate the reel 28. Since the reel end of the wire is free to pass through the guide members 42 and 38 and the outer end of the wire is positively held by the ippin member 41, the rotation of the rec 28, w ich operates to wind the wire thereon, serves to tighten or tension the wire about the object. When the wire' has thus been tightened about the object the continued movement of the reel operates. to pull the object against the members 50.- The push rod 53 and link 54 are thus actuated to move the shift rod 56 against its spring 57 into engagement with the clutch lever 62. The forward endof the rod' 56 coming in contact with the leg 62 of the lever 62, operates to move the lever out of engagement with the pin 60 which thereupon is actuated by its spring 61 to contact with the gear 19 and thus cause rotation of the shaft 20.

The rotation of the shaft serves to operate the pinion 22, the rotation of which ties the wire. The knives 24 are also actuated to cut the wire on either side of the tied portions thereof, thus severing the loop from both the free end of the wire secured by the gripper 41 and the reel or supply end of the wire. The package thus tied is free to be removed from the machine. As the shaft 20 completes one revolution the bar 68 comes in contact with the shift rod 56 and moves it from engagement with the lever 62, which thereupon operates to move the clutch pin out of contact with the gear 19 thus stopping rotation of the shaft 20. With the removal of the object from contact with members 50 the spring 57 operates to move the shift1 rod 56 to the right, as viewed in Figure In arranging that the clutch mechanism controlling the operation of the wire-tying apparatus shall be tripped only after the wire is tensioned about the object to be tied the practice of my invention insures that the object shall be properly tied and any premature twisting of the wire before it is giight about the package is prevented.

oreover by virtue of the automatic features of the apparatus by which the successive operation of tensioning the wire around the package, and then tying it and cutting it are all set in motion by the single movement on the part of the operator of depressin the treadle 30, a greatsaving in time and labor is effected.

Apparatus of preferred form and construction has been illustrated and described for the purpose of showing a way in which this invention may be used, but the inventive thou ht upon which th1s application is based, is broader than this illustrative embodiment thereof, and I therefore intend no limitations other than those imposed by the appended claims.

What I claim'is:

1. In apparatus for wire-tying an object, a reel, means for controlling-the rotation of same, means for retaining wire unwound from the reel in loop formation about the object, wire-tying and cutting mechanism, a clutch controlling the movement of said tying and cutting mechanism, and means for tripping the clutch adapted to be actuated by the tensioning of the wire about the ob ject by the rotation of the reel.

2. In apparatus for wire-tying anobject, a reel, means for retaining wire from the reel about the object in loop formation with overlapping strands of wire, means for bolding the terminal strand against a sliding movement, means for guiding the other strand while the wire is being tensioned by rotation of the reel, mechanism for tying together the overlapping strands, a clutch controlling the movement of said tying mecha-v nism, a contact member adapted to be engaged by the object when the wire is tensioned and arranged to trip the clutch when so engaged, and means for severing the wire when the knot is tied.

3. In apparatus for wire-tying an object,

arranged to permit rotation of the shaft when the wire is tensioned about the object by rotation of the reel. 4. In apparatus for wire-tying an object, a reel, power operated means for rotating same, means for retaining wire from the reel in a loop formation about the object, wire-twisting and vcutting. mechanism, a shaft for operating said twisting and cutting mechanism, a clutch for said shaft, means for tripping said clutch, a contact member arranged to operate the clutch triping mechanism and adapted to be engaged y the object when the wire is tensioned by rotation of the reel.

5. In apparatus for wire-tying an object, a reel, power operated means for rotating same, a treadle control for said reel, means for retaining wire unwound from the reel in loop formation about the object, power operated wire-twistin and cutting mechanism, a clutch controlling the movement of said mechanism, means for tripping said clutch, a contact member arranged to operate the clutch tripping mechanism and adapted to be engaged by the object when the wire is tensioned about the object.

6. In apparatus for wire-tying, means for retaining-a wire in loop formation about the object to be tied, wire-tying and cutting mechanism, means for tensioning the wire about the object, a contact member adapted to be engaged by the object when the wire is tensioned about same, and means operatively connected to said contact member for con trolling the movements of the wire-tying and cutting mechanism.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 4th day of May, 1921.

GEORGE D. WALKER. 

